Analysis of Clinical Differences in Drug-Induced Hepatitis in Elderly Patients Caused by Various Drugs

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to analyze the clinical differences in drug-induced hepatitis among elderly patients caused by various medications. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of clinical data from 140 elderly patients with drug-induced hepatitis admitted to our hospital between June 2021 and June 2023. We examined overall clinical features, identified drugs causing hepatitis, analyzed differences in symptoms, severity, and liver function indicators among patients exposed to various drugs, and investigated factors influencing prognosis. Results: The primary drugs inducing drug-induced liver injury were traditional Chinese medicine (34.29%), antituberculosis drugs (27.86%), and antibiotics (23.57%). Hepatocellular injury was the most prevalent clinical type (72.86%). The incidence of jaundice was significantly higher with antituberculosis drugs. Grade 1 hepatitis incidence was lower with traditional Chinese medicine but higher with Grade 3 hepatitis. Liver function indicators did not significantly differ across groups. Effective treatment was observed in 90.71% of patients. Significant differences were noted in TBIL, ALT, ALP, AST, and severity between patients with effective and ineffective treatment (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Traditional Chinese medicine, antituberculosis drugs, and antibiotics are common causes of drug-induced hepatitis in elderly patients, with hepatocellular injury being the predominant clinical type. Prognosis is influenced by liver function and the severity of the condition.